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SAIR Archive            SOUTH ASIA INTELLIGENCE REVIEW          LATEST ON SATP
Weekly Assessments & Briefings
Volume 16, No. 27, January 1, 2018

Data and assessments from SAIR can be freely published in any form with credit to the South Asia Intelligence Review of the
South Asia Terrorism Portal


ASSESSMENT


BANGLADESH
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Relentless Response
S. Binodkumar Singh
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management

On December 27, 2017, Kohinur Rahman aka Ketu (43), a ‘regional leader’ of Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), was killed in a 'gunfight' with Police in Sadar upazila (sub-District) of Chuadanga District. Five Policemen were also injured in the incident. Police recovered one revolver, six bullets, six crude bombs and six knives from the spot.

On November 28, 2017, three Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorists were killed in a raid at their hideout at Char Alatuli in Chapainawabganj District. Three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), seven detonators, 12 packs of explosive gel and two pistols were recovered from the spot.

On November 28, 2017, Abbas Sardar aka Khokon (48), a cadre of Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party (PBSP), was killed in a shootout with Police in Rajbari District’s Beninagar village. Police recovered one rifle, another firearm and five rounds of ammunition from the scene.

On September 6, 2017, remains of seven dead bodies were recovered from a JMB hideout in the capital Dhaka city’s Darus Salam area after the terrorists blew themselves up, ignoring the Rapid Action Battalion’s (RAB’s) repeated calls to surrender. A large quantity of bombs and bomb making materials, including 24 high-impact explosive devices, 60 improvised hand grenades, 70 chemical bombs, 15 kilograms (kgs) of splinters, nine empty cages, 20 kilograms of charcoal, and 1,500 pieces of igniting cord were also recovered from the area.

On August 25, 2017, a Neo-Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB) militant was killed in a gunfight with the Police in Boalia village of Kushtia District. Police recovered a foreign pistol, two bullets and three sharp weapons from the spot.

Sheikh Hasina Wazed’s Awami League (AL)-led Government, which retained power winning the 10th General Elections held on January 5, 2014, has enormously consolidated its secular commitments through 2017, reining in Islamist extremist groups and targeting the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) movement in the country.  According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), 52 Islamist terrorists were killed and another 905 arrested including 569 cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI)-Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), 166 of JMB, 126 of Neo-JMB, 19 of Ansar al-Islam, 12 of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), five each of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) and Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), two of Jamaat-e-Taliban and one of Allah’r Dal across Bangladesh in different raids in 2017. Prominent among those killed were the Neo-JMB ‘operational commander’ Nurul Islam Marzan (28), JMB ‘regional coordinator’ Abu Musa aka Abujar aka Abu Talha aka Robin aka Samiul (32), Neo-JMB ‘military chief’ Aminur Islam aka Alam (23), HuJI-B ‘chief’ Mufti Abdul Hannan and HuJI-B ‘regional commander’ Tajul Islam Mahmud aka Mama Hujur (46). By comparison, 74 Islamist terrorists were killed in 2016 and 31 in 2015.

Dhaka has also continued its campaign against the LWE movement. 15 LWE-linked fatalities were recorded, all of terrorists, in 2017. These included five PBCP ‘regional leaders’, Abdur Razzak (42), Jony Molla (31), Rakibul Hasan ‘Roky’ aka Bappi (35), Maidul Islam Rana (38) and Kohinur Rahman aka Ketu (43); two PBSP ‘regional leaders’ Kubad Ali Sikder aka Kubad (40) and Nistar aka Jahid aka Nizam (40); two PBCP ‘local leaders’ Oltu Mondol (40) and Korom Ali (36); four PBCP cadres Bidyut Bachhar (46), Sheikh Abu Talha (22), Alim Uddin (46) and Lalon Mollah (40); and two PBSP cadres Moazzem Fakir (32) and Abbas Sardar aka Khokon (48). Similarly, there were 18 LWE fatalities, all of terrorists in 2016; and 17, all of terrorists, in 2015. Meanwhile, a total of five LW extremists including PBCP ‘operational commander’ Mohamad Dulla Sheikh alias Shamim (25) and two cadres each of PBCP and PBSP were arrested through 2017. There were 14 such arrests in 2016 and 10 in 2015.

Meanwhile, the War Crimes (WC) Trials, which began on March 25, 2010, has thus far indicted 89 leaders, including 44 from Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI);16 from the Muslim League (ML); five from Nezam-e-Islami (NeI); four from Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP); two each from the Jatiya Party (JP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); 15 former Razakars (a prominent pro-Pakistan militia); and one former Al-Badr member. Verdicts have been delivered against 59 accused, including 37 death penalties and 22 life sentences. So far, six of the 37 people who were awarded the death sentence have been hanged; 18 are absconding and another 13 cases are currently pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, out of 22 persons who were awarded life sentences, four persons have already died serving their sentence; 11 are absconding and another seven are lodged in various jails of the country. Significantly, on March 11, 2017, Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution to observe March 25 as ‘Genocide Day’, marking the brutality carried out by the Pakistani Army and its collaborators on unarmed Bengalis on the black night of March 25, 1971. On the night of March 25, 1971, the Pakistani Army launched ‘Operation Searchlight’ and an estimated 7,000 people were killed and 3,000 arrested in a single night. Further, referring to the horrors of March 25, 1971, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during her speech at the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, 2017, stated, “I call upon the international community to take collective steps to ensure that such crimes are never committed at any time in the world. I believe, international recognition of all historical tragedies including the genocide of 1971 will play an important role in achieving our goal.”

A new security dilemma for Bangladesh in 2017 was the problem created by the Rohingya refugees from the Rakhine State of Myanmar. A new wave of refugees swept in after the incident of August 25, 2017, in which hundreds of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) insurgents armed with machetes and rifles attacked 30 security posts in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, killing 12 Policemen, a soldier and an immigration officer. In response, the military unleashed what it called "clearance operations" to root out the insurgents. On December 24, 2017, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) disclosed that in four months since the start of the influx of Rohingyas, 655,000 people had arrived in Bangladesh, bringing the estimated total number of Rohingyas in the country to 867,500.

Disturbingly, terrorist outfits both at home and abroad tried to cash in on the Rohingya crisis. On September 3, 2017, in a video message released by al Qaeda’s al-Malahem Media Foundation, Khaled Batarfi called on Muslims in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and Malaysia to support their Rohingya Muslim brethren against the “enemies of Allah.” Similarly, on September 12, 2017, Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Chief Maulana Masood Azhar declared, “All of us must do whatever we can for the Myanmar Muslims. Just say your prayers and get up to help them. You don’t need to show off what you are doing: just do it, and never stop." On the home front, an intelligence report on November 26, 2017, noted: “The Hizb-ut Tahrir members are committing transgressions by using the excuse of helping the displaced and oppressed Rohingyas. They are trying to bolster their organization and bag more support from the masses by exploiting their emotion over the Rohingya crisis.” Meanwhile, on December 19, 2017, RAB arrested two Neo-JMB terrorists from Dhaka city's Saidabad area. Later, on December 21, 2017, RAB identified the arrestees as Neo-JMB amir (chief) Mohamad Mizanur Rahman (37) and his associate Ibrahim Khalil (30), and revealed that Mizanur Rahman married a Rohingya woman to spread militancy among the displaced Myanmar nationals staying in Bangladesh. On December 19, 2017, Bangladesh Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu warned that the influx of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh could fuel terrorism and the movement of illegal drugs.

On November 23, 2017, Myanmar and Bangladesh signed an agreement for the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who fled to Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State. The development came one day after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in a written statement, declared, "After a careful and thorough analysis of available facts, it is clear that the situation in northern Rakhine state constitutes ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya." Earlier, United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, while addressing the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on September 11, 2017, slammed Myanmar for conducting a “cruel military operation” against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, branding it “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. As per the agreement signed between Dhaka and Naypyidaw on November 23, 2017, the repatriation process must start within two months of its signing, that is, from January 22, 2017. However, it could not be known how many Rohingyas will be repatriated in the first phase as the Joint Working Group (JWG) is yet to complete the physical arrangements.

To expand its unremitting effort against terrorist formations in Bangladesh, the Government approved a full-fledged Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) with a nationwide jurisdiction to combat militancy and terrorism, on September 20, 2017. Further, on October 25, 2017, to address the controversy regarding the madrasa education system, the Government directed the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board to remove the chapters on jihad. New textbooks of the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board will not contain any chapters with lessons on jihad, for the first time in nearly four decades. The Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board, also known as the Alia Madrasa Education Board, is one of three types of madrasa education systems in Bangladesh, along with the Qawmi and Hifz madrasas. Since the inception of the Board in 1979, chapters on jihad were included in madrasa textbooks from class VIII to the degree level. Jihad was defined in madrasa textbooks as a “struggle or fight against the enemies of Islam”.

In a startling revelation at the meeting of the National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention (NCMRP) in Dhaka on September 4, 2017, members from security agencies disclosed that 440 persons accused in 331 terrorism related cases had fled the country after getting bail. Frustratingly, an official of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, seeking anonymity, noted, “We work tirelessly for months to put these terrorists behind bars and then all that hard work goes down the drain when they are granted bail and flee the country. Once they are out, these terrorists either go into hiding or start their terrorist activities all over again. If this keeps happening, we cannot stop militancy in Bangladesh.” According to different law enforcement agencies, more than 200 suspected terrorists are out on bail since January 2017. Most of these are members of Neo-JMB, old JMB, Ansar al-Islam, HuJI-B and HuT. It is usually the delay in investigation and legal proceedings that allow terrorists to take advantage of the system.

In another revelation, on October 1, 2017, ATU officials disclosed that terrorist outfits have apparently smartened up and become tech-savvy, and are increasingly using encrypted communications applications (apps) to maintain communications online, making it harder for law enforcement agencies to trace them. They noted that terrorists initially used popular apps like Facebook and its Messenger, and Google Hangouts to communicate, but had recently begun shifting to encrypted messaging apps such as Threema, Telegram and Wickr to maintain secrecy. Terrorists also use WhatsApp, Viber, Tango, Hike and several other similar apps, as most of them also have the encryption facility, but they are rapidly switching platforms to avoid detection. In the future, they are likely to also use the more advanced Silent Circle, Signal, Chat Secure, OS Tel or Red Phone, which are more privacy-conscious. If they do this, tracing their secret and online networks will prove even more challenging.

On June 28, 2017, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Parliament “Our Government has always taken stern action against terrorism and militancy and would continue to curb the twin demons with an iron hand. There would be no place of terrorism and militancy on the soil of Bangladesh.” Further, on October 30, 2017, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal observed, “We maintain zero tolerance for terrorism and militancy. Since the Holey Artisan café attack, we carried out aggressive operations against the terrorists across the country to save the people. We have broken their backbone. They are no more a threat.”

Bangladesh has taken giant strides to root out terrorism after the country suffered its worst terrorist attack on July 1, 2016. Dhaka has demonstrated the efficacy of determined and relentless action against terrorist formations through 2017. By bringing the perpetrators of war crimes to justice, Dhaka has also succeeded in minimizing the threat of Islamist extremists within the country, both because they have become conscious of the clear intent of the incumbent Government, and because many of their top leaders are among those arraigned or convicted for the War Crimes. However, as terrorists adapt, exploit new technologies and new tactics, the challenge is kept alive. Moreover, the scope for a coalition of terrorists with the radicalized elements among the Rohingyas, who have been forced across the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, could create new headaches for authorities. Bangladesh’s “war on terror” is unlikely to end soon.

INDIA
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Arunachal Pradesh: A Reassuring Calm
M.A. Athul
Research Assistant, Institute for Conflict Management

Security Forces (SFs) killed a militant of the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) near Tissa village in Longding District on December 11, 2017. A Colt pistol, a radio set and other incriminating documents were recovered from the possession of the militant.

On September 4, 2017, SFs killed an NSCN-K militant and wounded another near Votnu village under Wakka circle in the Longding District. An AK-56, a radio set and a hand grenade, along with live bullets, were recovered from the incident site.

On September 1, 2017, another NSCN-K militant was killed by SFs near Kunsa village in Longding District. According to defense sources, SFs carried out the operation acting on specific intelligence about NSCN-K cadres trying to exfilitrate from the Indian State to Myanmar.

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) database, the State recorded at least six fatalities (all militants) in six separate incidents through 2017, as against nine fatalities (seven militants and two SF personnel) in four separate incidents in 2016. Significantly, the State did not record a single fatality in the SF category for seven years between 2008 and 2014, but witnessed four and two SF fatalities in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Apart from killing six militants in 2017, SFs also arrested 46 militants in 33 separate incidents. These included 15 militants each of the Reformation faction of NSCN (NSCN-R) and NSCN-K; 11 militants of the Isak-Muivah faction of NSCN (NSCN-IM); four militants of the Unification faction (NSNC-U) and one militant of the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP). Additionally, a link man working for both NSCN-K and the Independent faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) was also arrested. In 2016, SFs arrested 48 militants in 28 incidents.

Significantly, the State did not record any civilian fatality in 2017. In fact the last civilian fatality in the State was on February 6, 2015, in Monmao of Changlang District, when two porters were killed and nine Assam Rifles (AR) troopers were wounded in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast.

Out of 22 Districts of Arunachal Pradesh, insurgency-related fatalities in 2017 were reported from two Districts: Longding (five) and Tirap (one). In 2016 as well, fatalities were reported from two Districts: Tirap (6) and Changlang (three). Indeed, the overall security situation in the State improved further through 2017. However, there are lingering hurdles to securing permanent peace.

Abduction-for-ransom and extortion continues to thrive and infuse fear among people. At least two incidents of abduction-for-ransom were reported in 2017 in addition to two such incidents in 2016 (such incidents often go unreported, as victim families seek a ‘private’ settlement with abductors). Similarly, there were at least four reported incidents of extortion in 2017 in addition to four such incidents in 2016. All these incidents (abduction-for-ransom and extortion) in 2017 were reported from three Districts: Changlang, Tirap and Longding. In 2016 also, all such incidents were reported from Changlang, Tirap, and Longding. Interestingly, of the 46 arrested militants in the State this year, 13 were arrested for involvement in extortion. In 2016, 10 of 48 arrested militants were involved in extortion. In the latest incident, on December 1, 2017, Arunabh Phukan, the son of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Phukan, from Tinsukia in Assam was abducted at Khandu Basti in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, and a ransom demand of INR 20 million was raised. He was later released on December 25. The family of the victim denied paying any ransom.

Moreover, Longding and Tirap, the two most insurgency affected Districts of Arunachal Pradesh (besides Changlang) share a border with Myanmar, which is being used by North East militant groups as a base. The Indo-Myanmar border has unsurprisingly witnessed significant violent activities in 2017 and earlier Between January 1, 2000, and December 28, 2017, these three Districts have accounted for a total of 93 fatalities: Tirap, 66 (two civilians, eight SF personnel and 56 militants); Changlang, 18 (three civilians, three SF personnel and 12 militants); Longding, 9 (all militants).

Providing details, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) on April 10, 2017, that between 2015 and March 2017, the Indo-Myanmar border witnessed a steady rise in insurgent activities, with as many as 206 encounters reported between militants and SF personnel, spread across Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Among the four States sharing a border with Myanmar, the maximum number of encounters took place in Arunachal Pradesh – as many as 81, in which three SF personnel and 13 militants were killed. 114 suspected insurgents were arrested in the first three months of 2017 alone and there were 13 incidents of encounter between SFs and militants.

India and Myanmar share a 1,643-kilometers (km) long boundary, of which 520 kms lie along Arunachal Pradesh, followed by Mizoram (510 kms), Manipur (398 kms), and Nagaland (215 kms).

Arunachal Pradesh also faces the problem of illegal settlement of foreigner, particularly the presence of about 54,000 Chakma and Hajong refugees (primarily Buddhists and Hindus respectively) who had settled in the State since the 1960’s from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in erstwhile East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh). The Chakmas and Hajongs are predominantly settled in Subansiri, Lohit and Tirap Districts, the last two of which are also afflicted by insurgency.

On September 13, 2017, the Government of India (GoI) decided to grant citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees, acting on a 2015 Supreme Court ruling which called for ‘limited citizenship’ for the refugees, implying that they will not get land rights or be recognized as Scheduled Tribes (ST) of Arunachal Pradesh. Opposing GoI’s decision, the All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), a State level student’s organization, called for a day long strike on September 19, 2017. Violence was reported from several parts of the State, including the Capital, Itanagar, where public transport vehicles came under attack. At least four State-owned buses were damaged and several private vehicles were attacked.

Perturbed by the move, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, in a letter to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on September 18, 2017, Stated:
As mentioned by me in our meeting recently, I reiterate that the people of my State are not ready to accept any infringement on the Constitutional protection bestowed on the tribals of Arunachal Pradesh and want to ensure that the ethnic composition and the special rights enjoyed by the tribes of my State are safeguarded at all cost. .

Later, on December 3, 2017, the All Papum Pare District Students’ Union (APPDSU), a local level student body, appealed to the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Balijan Circle in Papum Pare District, not to include the names of Chakma voters in the fresh electoral rolls of the Doimukh Assembly Constituency.

Moreover, according to an April 28, 2017 report, an unnamed National Investigation Agency (NIA) official noted that a new Naga militant outfit, identified as Eastern Naga National Government (ENNG), based in the vicinity of Changlang District, was formed on January 14, 2016. NSCN-IM is said to be the brain behind this outfit, with the objective of destabilizing NSCN-K, which largely dominates the three Districts of Changlang, Tirap and Longding in Arunachal Pradesh, which provide a densely forested gateway to Myanmar. Several cadres of NSCN-K reportedly joined ENNG, and significant internal clashes were expected because of the defections. However, no such incidents were recorded through 2017 in the State. Moreover, no incidents of NSCN-K militants defecting to ENGG have been recorded till date in the current year. However, ENGG is involved in extorting from contractor working on infrastructural projects in the State.

Amidst some of these worries, the Government is expectedly pushing forward with development projects in the State. A significant infrastructure project is the 9.15-kms long flagship of Bhupen Hazarika Bridge built over river Lohit connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The bridge, inaugurated in May 2017, reduced the travel time between the two States by as much as four hours. Earlier the ferry service, the only available mode of transport, normally took more than six hours between Dhola village and Sadiya. The newly constructed bridge reduces the travel time between the Dhola village and the remote Sadiya subdivision of Tinsukia and opens up another route to the eastern Districts of Arunachal Pradesh. Crucially, the Roing area in the Lower Dibang Valley District of Arunachal Pradesh is connected to Chapakhowa the main town in Sadiya subdivision, which in turn is connected to Tinsukia town via the Dhola-Sadiya Bridge.

According to a September 22, 2017 report, the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) will invest INR 150 billion in the State, to cover 800 kms of road. Additionally, in a significant boost for Hydel projects, the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) signed a loan agreement under the Indo-German Bilateral Development Cooperation (IGBDC) for completion of the Pare Hydro-electric Plant in Arunachal Pradesh. The agreement provides for an additional funding of Euro 20 million.

While security measures must be sustained, accelerated development initiatives in the fields of infrastructure and economy are of enormous significance for the long-term stabilization of this strategically critical State.


NEWS BRIEFS

Weekly Fatalities: Major Conflicts in South Asia
December 25-31, 2017

 

Civilians

Security Force Personnel

Terrorists/Insurgents

Total

BANGLADESH

 

Left-wing Extremism

0
0
1
1

INDIA

 

Jammu and Kashmir

0
5
3
8

Left-Wing Extremism

 

Chhattisgarh

0
0
1
1

INDIA (Total)

0
5
4
9

PAKISTAN

 

FATA

0
0
2
2

Sindh

0
0
5
5

PAKISTAN (Total)

0
0
7
7
Provisional data compiled from English language media sources.

INDIA

Security situation in Jammu and Kashmir improved, claims Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh: Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on December 29 said that the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has considerably improved with the efforts of the Security Forces (SFs) and the development initiatives undertaken by both the Centre and the State. The Minister made these remarks while chairing an inter-ministerial meeting, convened in New Delhi, to discuss development issues in J&K besides Left Wing Extremism-affected States and the Northeast region. Daily Excelsior, December 30, 2017.

Shortage of around 60,000 personnel in Indian Armed Forces, says the Government: India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Indian Parliament) on December 27 that Indian Armed Forces are facing the shortage of 60,000 personnel including over 27,000 vacant posts in the Indian Army. Out of the total shortage of 27,864, on July 1, 2017, 12.37 lakh personnel are employed against the authorised strength of 12.64 lakh in Army. The Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Air Force (IAF) are facing shortage of 16,255 and 15,503 personnel, respectively. The Indian Express December 29, 2017.

Infiltration reduced on India-Bangladesh Border, says UMHA: The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju informed Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Indian Parliament) on December 27, about the fewer cases of infiltration at India-Bangladesh border. Reportedly, there has been a sharp decline in the infiltration via Bangladesh border. So far in 2017, 543 intrusions has been reported by the Border Security Force (BSF) whereas the infiltration case reported in 2016 were 832, in 2015 reported intrusions were 1,047 and 1,017 cases of infiltration were reported in 2014, said Kiren Rijiju. The Indian Express, December 29, 2017.

Pakistan and China are origins of most of cyber attacks, says Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Alphons Kannanthanam: The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MoSE&IT) Alphons Kannanthanam informed Lok Sabha (The Lower House of the Indian Parliament) that there have been intrusion attempts on information systems or devices operating in the Government's Cyber networks and these attacks have been originating from various countries including Pakistan and China. According to the data provided by India's Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the cyber attacks includes phishing, probing, website intrusions & defacements, viruses, ransomware and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. DNA, December 29, 2017.

Around 40,000 Rohingyas are illegal residents in India, says Minister of State Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) informed the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament) on December 27, as in 2016 2,154 Afghanistan nationals and 486 Rohingyas from Myanmar acquired long-term visa for their stay in India. As per an estimate, around 40,000 Rohingyas are residing illegally in India and spread-out in Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Hyderabad (Telangana), Western Uttar Pradesh (UP), Mewat region of Haryana and Rajasthan, Delhi and Jaipur (Rajasthan), said Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State Home Affairs. Times of India, December 28, 2017.

Infiltration via LoC in Jammu and Kashmir touches four-year high, shows UMHA data: Over 300 infiltrations were reported from the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017, which was a four-year-high, according to figures available with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA). An official said this explained the over 230% increase in ceasefire violations along the LoC this year compared to 2016. "Till four years ago, the ceasefire violations along LoC stood at 153 this year it has increased to 820 (till December 15) last year it was 228. The increase also explains the 310 infiltration attempts from Pakistan," a senior UMHA official said. The Hindu, December 2, 2017.

ISI is supporting to revive the Khalistan movement, says Government: The Indian Government on December 27 informed the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament) about the involvement of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in revival of the Khalistan movement in Punjab, through moral and financial support to the pro-Khalistan entities. Responding to the situation, the Government has implemented an integrated approach to counter such anti-India attempts via strengthening the vigilance along the borders and mechanisms of gathering and sharing of intelligence inputs, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir. Hindustan Times, December 28, 2017.


NEPAL

President authenticates NA Election Ordinance: President Bidya Devi Bhandari on December 29 authenticated the ordinance on election to the National Assembly (NA). The President's Chief Personal Secretary, Bhesh Raj Adhikari, said that the President authenticated the ordinance which had been pending at the Office of the President for long due to the dispute among the political parties over it. Although the President had wanted all the political parties to agree on the ordinance, she authenticated the ordinance with a view to ending the latest political deadlock, the President's Chief Personal Secretary said. My Republica, December 30, 2017.


PAKISTAN

Pakistan registers increase in suicide attacks in 2017, says a report from PICSS: The report compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) shows that terrorists carried out 23 suicide attacks in different parts of the country in 2017, whereas 2016 and 2015 had witnessed 17 and 18 such incidents, respectively. 1,387 people, including 585 civilians, 555 militants and 247 Security Forces (SFs) personnel, were killed and 1,965 people, including 1,580 civilians, were injured in militancy-related incidents, including militant attacks and SFs actions Dawn, January 1, 2018.

Palestine's ambassador to Pakistan shares stage with JuD 'chief' Hafiz Saeed in Rawalpindi: Palestine's ambassador to Pakistan, Waleed Abu Ali, shared a stage with 'chief' of Jamaat ud-Dawa (JuD) and founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Hafiz Saeed on December 29 during a rally organised by the Difah-e-Pakistan Council (DePC) in Liaquat Bagh of Rawalpindi city of Punjab Province in Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed used this rally to call for an "Islamic summit" to defend Jerusalem from Israel. "We are taking this matter strongly with the Palestine ambassador to India and with the Palestine authorities", said an unnamed official of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Times of India, December 30, 2017.

'No rogue elements within the Army', says DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor: Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said on December 28 that there were no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army. "I am spokesman of the sitting army chief. You should ask Musharraf to explain his statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within Pakistan Army", he said. Daily Times, December 29, 2017.

Federal Cabinet approves early FATA merger into KP: The Federal Cabinet approved early merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on December 26. An official statement issued after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that approval was granted "to the formation of National Implementation Committee (NIC) on the FATA Reforms." The NIC had agreed that the FATA people will be able to elect 23 members to the KP assembly, while the National Assembly (NA) seats would be finalised after consultations. The Nation, December 27, 2017.

1400 Police Personnel killed during 'war on terror', says Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif: Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif said on December 26, that 1400 Police Personnel had been killed during 'war on terror' (period not specified). He was addressing passing-out ceremony of ASI's at Sihala Police Training College. The CM said armed forces of Pakistan decided to launch a counter terrorism operation with the full support of PML (N) Government and backing of the entire nation. Tribune, December 21, 2017.


The South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR) is a weekly service that brings you regular data, assessments and news briefs on terrorism, insurgencies and sub-conventional warfare, on counter-terrorism responses and policies, as well as on related economic, political, and social issues, in the South Asian region.

SAIR is a project of the Institute for Conflict Management and the South Asia Terrorism Portal.

 
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